


Vulptex

by Pyxidis



Series: The Mirage Squad [3]
Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars: Clone Wars (2003) - All Media Types, Star Wars: The Clone Wars (2008) - All Media Types
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-06-07
Updated: 2020-06-07
Packaged: 2021-03-03 23:08:12
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,719
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24593560
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Pyxidis/pseuds/Pyxidis
Summary: "I'm a woman. Sir."
Series: The Mirage Squad [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1767124
Comments: 4
Kudos: 26





	Vulptex

* * *

**Chapter Summary:** She tells her vode, then Commander Offee, then the General.

* * *

“I’m a girl,” she said, voice high and reedy.

The declaration rang through the white hallways of the Kaminoan complex. The cadet stood in front of the motionless trooper like a statue, drowning in the silence. The white lights overhead permeated her eyes - made her feel cold.

It was a thought that started two weeks prior.

CT-1791’s batchmates had been introduced to a new trainer. Another True Mandalorian, one who was to oversee their blaster training. A new face had always been a hot topic amongst squads, and she couldn’t help but overhear what other batches of _vode_ had been thinking. There had been debate on what the instructor would look like, their teaching method. Some other overly excitable _vode_ had been debating on what species or gender they would be. The usual criteria.

After all, the True Mandalorians were so few compared to them. Not many would make the rounds, to take a look at the other hundreds of thousands of batches. They were all the same. 

(The trainers that were not True Mandalorians never evoked as much excitement. They did not care for the _vode_ , and usually stuck to their assigned batches.)

The blues and bright orange colors of the True Mandalorian Instructor had been the first things her squad had noticed at the blaster range. Everyone had stood at attention: cadets sprawling against the wall had hastened to their feet; those already standing had straightened their postures. 

Nobody had dared to move.

The instructor had nodded - then removed their helmet. 

CT-1791 had instantly identified their species - Terrelian Jango Jumper - and had been captivated by their wide smile. The splash of white on their helmet had mirrored the white cloth pressed to their face like a mask. Their hair had been the same bright orange as the stripes on their armor, long dreadlocks in loops framing their thin face and tied at the back in a flat bun. 

“Iba Kyemi. House Mereel. She/her pronouns.”

And, without missing a beat, she’d picked up a rifle and opened fire to the side without looking.

The cadets had burst into a flurry of activity, gathering around her then, eyes wide and full of awe. Unbidden sounds of shy gasps and boisterous hooting filled the room.

She’d hit the target, right in the middle.

CT-1791 had gone through the rest of the training session in a daze. The phrase had run through her head during blaster training, then during lunch, through her lessons on the animal species of Crait, through dinner and the assigned curfew for the night cycle. She had laid on her bunk, kept awake by it.

_Iba Kyemi. House Mereel. She/her pronouns._

_She/her pronouns._

**_She_ ** _and_ **_her_ ** _pronouns._

CT-1791’s batchmates had noticed her sudden quiet, but did not inquire about it at first; they had been used to her thoughtful silences, especially when they had been associated with either blaster training or the very few literary works they were allowed to study. But when three days had followed with the same quiet they had become worried.

She had waved them off, assuring them that it would be a phase. But the longer time passed, the more she had realized that something had to give - and it would not be this.

She made a decision.

Just a few minutes prior she’d been on her bunk, a little past the time for their morning meal, agonizing over her sudden cold feet. But she’d sucked in a breath, furrowed her eyebrows - and she’d emerged then, marching towards the training room where her batchmates were, but had found an older _vod_ coming down the hall. In a sudden wild fit of impulsive bravery she’d stepped in front of him, closed her eyes, and let out what had been bubbling inside her for the past two weeks.

She’d opened her eyes, after. Looked up. Visibly faltered, quaking in her shoes.

This was no ordinary _vod_. This was an Advanced Recon Commander. And not just any ARC, either.

A-17 looked down at her, face blank. She met his eyes, neck straining (he was so tall, large and looming over her tiny cadet frame) breath stuttered. But she clenched her fists, planted her feet, straightened her back.

She’d met his eyes, afraid. But determined. 

He reached out and ruffled her hair.

“Sure, _vod’ika,”_ he said. And that was that.

When the longnecks made no mention of her pronouns, including her among the other male-identifying cadets of her training unit, she later let out a sigh of relief in the privacy of her bunk.

~

“CT-1791, sir. Vulptex. She/her pronouns.”

Her new _al’verde_ nodded, unphased by the addition to her greeting. The rest of the _vode_ that she’d come with have already had the time process that they had a sister on the ship they’d just disembarked from, but she knew that they’d held their breath all the same. 

Their worry made her heart swell in her chest, because it all but confirmed that they really did accept her.

In fact, they’d taken great pleasure in talking about her to each other in a way that made her pleasantly flustered, taking no time in making her feel more comfortable with her identity and her hair - which, under much pressure from her _vode_ , she’d taken off her helmet to show. The pure white shade and natural curls that she’d started growing out of the regulation haircut earned many compliments.

And their new _al’verde_ did not seem to care about it, either. He’d all but let it slide, accepting it as such and moving on.

Footsteps sounded behind their _al’verde_ , and a new figure came into view as he stepped aside to make room for the incomer. 

“Commander Gree,” a young, even voice said.

“Sir,” their _al’verde_ answered. His voice was level, with an unmistakable hint of fondness in his tone.

The girl was a Mirialan, the customary green skin and dark facial tattoos giving her species away. Blue eyes flickered over them - fresh shinies off of Kamino - and when their eyes met, a spark of recognition made her own gaze fall on the ground. 

This girl, with her thin adolescent body, dark robes, and lightsaber fastened on her hip, was their Padawan commander. 

_Al’verde_ Gree turned back to the shinies. “Troopers, this is Commander Offee. You will answer to her, and you will treat her with the proper respect.”

“Sir, yes sir!” 

“Thank you, commander,” Commander Offee said. Her eyebrows pinched together, seemingly uncomfortable with the instant deference to her leadership, but she was young, and cool-headed. She would be fine. Her face smoothed out, and a small smile replaced her previous expression. “In the meantime, I would like to know your names, troopers. I will endeavor to remember them all.”

Vulptex was already standing at attention. She exhaled, slowly. She then saluted. “Vulptex, she/her pronouns, sir.” 

_Al'verde_ Gree nodded in approval. Her shoulders slumped slightly.

Commander Barriss Offee blinked, face becoming blank. Vulptex bit her lip behind her helmet.

“Well then,” Commander Offee said - and the padawan relaxed, too, shooting Vulptex a small smile. “It’s about time we had more girls around here.” 

~

“I’m a woman. Sir.”

General Luminara Unduli looked up from her tea. Vulptex pointedly did not look at her, continuing to read _Ijaat bal Nu’tor_ on her datapad, although she went back over to the top of the screen to read the section again. Just to… absorb its contents. More thoroughly, that is.

… The truth is. As soon as she had seen General Luminara Unduli - strong, graceful, calm, brave, and beautiful - she’d balked out of telling her pronouns. Instead, she’d slunked off and avoided the general as best as she could.

She’d even begged Commander Offee not to tell. A little concerned, but no less supportive, she’d agreed.

Of course, the general did not know this as she’d settled in the space that had been converted into a free lounging room for the troopers. The general had brought her own datapad, with a datacard attached to it, and Vulptex had awkwardly begun to pass by her until she’d seen the title on the screen - _Mirialan Women._

She’d stopped. The general had tilted her head. Vulptex had not been able to bear the tension and had blurted out her high opinion of the holonovel. They’d proceeded to converse in depth about the work, and she’d become more comfortable with her.

But she hadn’t told her pronouns.

… Until now.

General Unduli hummed.

“Duly noted, trooper.” The _clink_ of a tea cup filled the uneasy silence as it was placed on the table between them. She saw, from the corner of her eye, General Unduli look down at her own datapad situated on her lap. The play-turned-novel was a classic, first penned on flimsi by a famous bard on Alderaan. At least, that was what she remembered the General saying. “And might I say, Vulptex, that you do look very lovely today.”

“Thank you,” she said, voice very small. Her head felt heavy, gaze trained on the words swimming before her eyes.

“You should join my padawan and I for meditation sometime,” she heard General Unduli say, very gently. “We usually make the most of the brief lull this war gives us to calm ourselves. And afterwards we read, or eat together. Or share news about the Temple.”

A beat. “Like… a girl’s night? Sir?” 

“I would not say that,” General Unduli replied. But when Vulptex looked up she was smiling.

Tentatively, she smiled back. “I would love that, sir.”

* * *

**Notes:**

This was so much longer than I planned - but alas, here it is! I really, really liked the idea that Luminara Unduli and her padawan helped shape Vulptex’s graceful aura and level-headed personality, so I made her part of Green Company. 

Special thanks to Ace and RogueLadyVader for beta reading!

Edit: My main beta reader Les sent me an amazing song that captured PERFECTLY what Vulptex thought when she decided her pronouns (not to mention her feelings when she met Luminara Unduli)! Check out [Suddenly I See by KT Tunstall](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LGVTZO-tUrQ)!

**MANDO'A**

Vode: Brothers, sisters, siblings

Vod: Brother, sister, sibling

Vod'ika: Little brother, sister, or sibling

Al'verde: Commander

Ijaat bal Nu'tor: Honor and Injustice; Nu'tor is not an official term

* * *


End file.
